Planned Parenthood: It's Your Call When To Tell Partner You Have HIV

A Planned Parenthood's "Healthy, Happy, and Hot" brochure aimed at young people with HIV says that "Young people living with HIV have the right to decide if, when, and how to disclose their HIV status," and "You know best if and when it is safe for you to disclose our status."

The brochure also called various laws that require an HIV positive person to disclose their status to a partner a "violation of rights."

In October, police in Missouri arrested an HIV positive college student who had engaged in unprotected sex with more than 30 partners, infecting at least one with HIV. He had previously told his partners that he was disease-free.

While all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their HIV status, it is absolutely absurd to suggest to people that informing their partner that they have a very serious disease is merely a personal choice. While the risk of transmission may be quite small if proper steps are taken, it still isn't right to keep one's partner in the dark about any potential risks. Hurt feelings aren't a terminal condition--but HIV is.